Never Been More Ready
by the46captainswanfiles
Summary: Princess Emma Swan has grown up knowing she had a duty to her kingdom. She knew that one day, she'd likely have to marry someone she didn't love. What she didn't know, however, was the effect Lieutenant Killian Jones would have on her. Captain Swan, Lieutenant Duckling AU (no curse).
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Emma's eighteen when her father tells her she's officially engaged.

She's also eighteen when she finds herself on her balcony, not exactly crying but not with dry eyes either. Her younger brother, Henry, asks her if she's okay, and Emma can't respond, because she's not entirely sure that she is, but Henry doesn't need to know that. He might not be a baby but he isn't old enough to need the weight of his sister's drama.

Emma, the Crown Princess of Misthaven, was only fifteen when she was told to start considering potential suitors. Her parents had brought wealthy families in from all around the kingdom so Emma could meet their son, who was either dreadfully annoying or a complete ass. But apparently after three years of Emma rejecting suitors and the delay of her coronation two months, her father had become fed up and chosen a fiancé for her himself.

But Emma didn't want to marry Rumplestiltskin's son. Emma knew who she wanted to marry, but she also knew her parents would never let her. She's supposed to marry someone that can help their kingdom, and Baelfire will most certainly help the kingdom, securing an alliance with the Dark One and preventing their kingdom from future peril.

Still, that doesn't mean she has to be happy about it.

* * *

Emma's eighteen and two months when she meets her fiancé, and she'll be eighteen and six months when she gets married, and eighteen and six months and two weeks when she becomes queen, which means she has exactly four months to suck it up and tell her parents or ruin her wedding.

Which is a horrible thing to think, really, but that doesn't change the fact that being married to someone other than the man she loves will going to suck.

Her mother is in her bedroom with her helping her put on her dress, her baby brother, Leo and her younger sister Ruth on the bed watching. Ruth just turned seven and Leo is only a year old, setting them both far apart from Henry and Emma, her other brother fifteen.

Snow smiles and steps back to look at her daughter in her dress, smiling wide at the sight. It's one of Emma's least favorite dresses, the light purple covered in darker purple roses. She has some nice dresses, and it's not like this one is ugly, but it's very tight and her corset digs into her sides and she prefers not to wear it because of it.

"Oh, Emma," her mother's eyes begin to water. "You look so beautiful. And you'll be such a beautiful bride."

Emma fakes a smile and glances at herself in the mirror. She doesn't look happy, looks far from it, and it stuns her that her mother cannot see it. If anyone understand her, it's her mother, and yet she can't see the fact that her own daughter wants to run away.

Ruth smiles and jumps from the bed to wrap her arms around her sister. Ruth's a very quiet girl, but can somehow convey so much in just a few glances. When Emma looks down at her sister, she can see that Ruth understands somehow, even at her young age.

"I'll see you downstairs in ten minutes, alright?" Snow confirms, picking Leo up from the bed and grabbing Ruth's hand. Emma nods, not fully able to gather the courage to actually speak.

Finally alone, Emma sits down on her bed, sighing heavily and lying down, wrapping her arms around her middle. Sucking in a shaky breath, she lies back amongst her covers and tries her hardest not to cry, or scream, or both.

Which is why she nearly jumps out of her skin when she hears feet falling on her balcony, and when she looks up, she finds the one man she both wants to see and can't fathom what to say to him.

"Killian!" Emma jumped up at the sudden, but not unwelcome, visitor. Of all the people she expected to visit her, he was not one. "What are you doing here?"

The lieutenant shrugged sheepishly. "I don't know. I just...Liam told me about the engagement, and I needed to see you."

Emma's heart melted for him. Like her, he knew that their relationship was one that was doomed, but that didn't mean either of them were okay with that.

"I have to go downstairs soon." She told him, walking towards him as he enters the room. Calmly, she shuts the shades to her bedroom so they're alone, so that no one can see them, especially not now.

Killian nodded. "I know. I saw the boat coming in."

Emma winced. Without a second thought, she said, "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Don't apologize. You and I both knew this was coming, didn't we?"

Emma nodded, sniffling and willing herself not to cry. Still, she failed, a single tear falling from her eyes. Killian steps closer to her, his hand reaching up to brush the tear from her face, his other arm coming around her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on for dear life. More tears fall on his neck and he holds her tighter, breath shaking against her.

"I don't want to marry him." She admits in a whisper. "I don't want to marry him because I want to marry you."

Killian hums. "I know, Love. But you can't. You've known from the beginning this had to come to an end."

Emma shakes against him, and she can tell he's being strong for her, but she doesn't want him to be. She wants him to break like her, so she can know that he's just as upset as she is, so that she can know he still loves her as much as he always has.

Killian starts to pull away from her, placing hands on either of her cheeks and brushing away her tears. "You need to go, Love."

She sucks in a breath and places her hands on his arms, willing herself back to composure. She's grown up learning how to put a mask on, to look happy for her people, and today she's going to need that mask.

Sighing heavily, Emma pulls away from him, turning away to go to the door. When she turns back with her hand on the knob, she finds him watching her, a pained expression on his face.

"Will you come back tonight?" Emma asks, knowing what she's asking is wrong and probably illegal. "Please? I just...I need one last night."

Killian scratches behind his ear, but nods nonetheless.

"I'll see you tonight." Emma smiles, but before she can open the door, there's a hand grabbing hers and turning her against the door, pinning her there as his lips descended on hers, brutally moving against them as he clings to her, finally letting himself feel what he's been trying to bury. His hands move into her hair and hers wrap around his neck, holding him against her. She gasps against his lips and places her hands on his back as he continues his assault on her mouth, desperately searching for what they had before Emma was engaged and it was just the two of them.

They're both startled at the knock on her door, but luckily no one tries to actually open it. Her mother's best friend, Ruby, talks through the door, saying, "Em, you've got to get moving. Your mother is becoming quite impatient."

Emma pulls away, taking in a deep breath to compose herself. "Alright, I'll be right there." She yells back, and she's proud of how normal she sounds. Quietly, she whispers to Killian, "I love you. Don't forget that."

Killian smiles back at her weakly. "I love you too."

* * *

Balefire isn't the _worst_ of all the suitors she's had, but he's certainly not the best. She doesn't miss seeing the Dark One, his scaly skin and manipulation unnerving her. Although he had served his time (in Emma's opinion, it hadn't been nearly enough, but her mother was Snow White, so) she still didn't trust him, and clearly neither does Regina, her step grandmother eyeing him warily as he speaks with her parents. Emma somehow finds herself next to the redeemed former queen and her now-husband. After Regina's curse had failed, she and her mother had finally worked things out, and meeting Robin had significantly changed the former evil queen. Still, Regina still had a past with Rumplestiltskin, and knew better than to trust him.

Snow insists Emma and Baelfire take a walk in the gardens to get to know one another, and frankly Emma would rather stick needles into her eyes, but she agrees nevertheless. The two make their way to the garden, guards trailing behind them, far enough away so they cannot hear it when Bae whispers, "Emma, I have to be honest with you."

Emma whips her head to the side, confused. Still, she nods, eager but somewhat nervous to hear what he has to say.

"Back home, in my father's kingdom, there was someone else." He admits to her, refusing to meet her eyes. "And I knew my father would never allow me to be with her, so I agreed to this marriage."

Bae glances over at her, nervous. Without hesitation, Emma presses, "Go on."

"Well, she's a part of my father's staff, and she's come all this way with us, and I'm not entirely sure that my feelings for her are completely gone. But I want you to know that I'm going to try to be a good husband to you, whether we love each other or not. And I'll understand if you love someone else, truly. If we need to appear a couple but not actually be one, I will do so."

Emma gapes at him, confused and stunned by his words. She never expected to marry someone that would be _okay_ with her loving someone else, but then again, she never expected to marry someone who was in love with someone else as well.

She smiles gratefully, but she knows she can't tell him the truth. She couldn't do that to her parents. "Thank you, Bae, truly. And don't think I'm not okay with you being with someone else, but I can't risk an illegitimate child. I couldn't do that to my parents. Or you, for that matter. What would your father do if he found out?"

Bae shrugged. "I wouldn't let him hurt you. You would still be my wife, Emma. He can punish me all he wants, but he would have to understand it wasn't your fault."

"I always thought I would marry for love." Emma admits after a moment. "I mean, after my parents. Look at them. Snow White married a shepherd. I figured I would be free to marry who I wished."

"We can still stop this." Bae tells her. "If you tell your parents and I tell my father, they have to understand. They can't force us into something that could make us miserable."

Emma nodded, but still couldn't find it in herself to agree. "Bae, I love my parents. And I love this kingdom. And if this is what they want for me... I don't know if I can refuse."

Bae nodded, glancing to the side. As Emma watched his face fall and pain gather in his features, Emma could tell he was struggling with the same thing she was: loving someone he wasn't supposed to love. Loving someone he couldn't love.

* * *

It's around nine o'clock when Emma is finally in her nightgown. Dinner had been an uncomfortable affair, with her arranged fiancé to her left and Henry to her right, her future father-in-law sitting across from her and smiling smugly as he makes conversation with her parents. She finally ran upstairs at seven thirty, whereupon she took a far too long bath to gather her thoughts- thoughts about Killian, about Balefire, about what he had said, about her parents. She had finally gotten out after about a half hour and changed into her blue silk nightgown, the lace robe around her doing very little to warm her from the breeze entering the open balcony doors.

Emma had nearly given up, had nearly lost her patience with the amount of times her cat had tried to escape off the balcony, and was about to shut the windows when she heard footsteps on the balcony, her dashing lieutenant entering her bedroom.

A smile blossomed across her face as she wrapped her arms around him. "I was starting to worry you weren't going to show." She admitted.

Killian shook his head as he pulled back. "Of course I was going to come. I couldn't resist you even if I tried. Liam kept me longer than I expected. He wanted to introduce me to his new girlfriend."

Emma smirked. "Captain Liam Jones has a girlfriend. I never expected that."

Killian chucked as he closed the balcony windows and Emma went to lock the door. It was a routine they had down well, ever since the time that Ruth had almost walked in on them ten months prior. "Neither did I. But she's very nice. I can see why Liam likes her."

Emma raised her brow as she sat down on her couch, Killian sitting next to her. "Can you? Should I be worried?"

He shook his head in response, leaning over to kiss her. "Of course not, Love. No one could ever rival you."

And for a minute, it was just Emma and Killian again, and she wasn't engaged to someone else, and they weren't doomed to end. But then reality was back as his eyes widened and he realized what he'd said, and she realized she needed to tell him what Bae had told her.

"Killian, I need your advice on something." She admitted, leaning into him. Wordlessly, he leaned back against the arm of the chair and allowed her to lay back on him and then wrapped his arms around her.

He pressed his cheek to the top of her head. "Anything, Love. You know that,"

"Baelfire told me something today. My…the man I'm…Rumplestiltskin's son. He told me that he was in love with someone else, and that if I wanted to end the engagement, he would agree and would protect me from his father." Emma admitted. When she looked up to gauge his reaction, he was emotionless, simply listening to her talk. "But I don't want to disappoint my parents. I know they want this for me, and I know they want me to have a strong King to rule beside me, but Bae's offer…I love you, Killian Jones, more than anything. And I want to be with you, but even if we did refuse to marry, how do I know my parents would let me marry you?"

Killian took a deep breath, processing what she'd just told him. Finally, he said, "Emma, this is your decision, ultimately. And if your parents love you as much as I think they do, they'll understand. They married for love, and at the end of the day want you to be happy. We spent so much time hiding, we don't even know if we've ever had to hide. If you want to marry me, I'll marry you in a heartbeat. You just have you admit to your parents how you feel. And if you want to marry Baelfire, I'll step aside. But you have to know that I'll never love someone as much as I've loved you."

His speech had brought tears to her eyes, and she was so overwhelmed with emotion she didn't know how to respond. Instead, she twisted around, connecting her lips to his, hands running through his hair. It was longer now, and her hand found the tie that was holding his hair back, letting it lose so she could tug on the ends. His mouth opened to hers and their tongues tangled as he laid her down on the couch, covering her body with his. She strained to wrap her legs around his waist against her nightgown, not even batting an eye as the side ripped. Gathering all the courage she has, she pushed his jacket off his shoulders, staring up at him as he pulls away, shocked.

"What are you doing?" His eyes search hers for an answer, one she isn't entirely sure of.

Smiling shyly, Emma admits, "I want it to be you. Even if we _do_ get married one day, I want this memory. I want it to be you, not some boy I've been forced to marry."

"Are you sure you're ready?" Killian asks her.

Emma nods. "I've never been more ready."

Killian hesitates again, but then he nods slightly because he understands her. If anyone knows her, if anyone can read her mind, it's him, and he knows that their future is uncertain, and he must realize that he needs this too. So without further debate, he dives back down to kiss her, hands coming to the tie of her robe and helping her slip out of it before climbing off of her and holding out a hand to her. Emma stands with him, hands coming to the collar of his shirt but not making any move to kiss him. Instead, she moves her hands to the buttons of his vest, unclasping each one without looking away from him. He watches her intently, gaze never wavering, and looking into his eyes all she can see is love, love she returns, love she can't imagine living a day without.

"I love you," she tells him, as she slips the vest from his shoulders, and then lifts the shirt from his chest. It's toned from the years he's spent in the navy with his brother, hair coating his chest and she runs her fingers through it, following the trail to the top of his pants.

"I love you," he tells her as he lifts the silk nightgown from her figure, eyes memorizing her figure. If this is the only night they have together, she intends to savor it.

He whispers it to her again as he lies her on the bed, and she does the same as marks every curve and freckle on his body, and they may not be married and this may have been spur of the moment and as awkward of a first time as any other, and her parents would likely kill the both of them if they found out, but to them, none of that mattered. To them, it couldn't have been more perfect.

* * *

She's lying on his chest hours later, clothes strewn across the floor, candles fading, and she can't think of a time where she felt more content. She can tell he's exhausted and about to fall asleep by the way his breathing is beginning to even, but she can't let him yet, and they words just seem to escape her mouth as she asks, "Marry me."

She can feel the lazy smile that crosses his face. "Anything, Love."


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm back! All the other chapters are written, so the final two should be posted in a few days.**

Chapter Two

Emma is eighteen and one month when she and Baelfire finally gather the courage to tell their parents.

Yes, she may have asked Killian to marry her nearly a month ago and yes, he had agreed and it was all coming together except for the one little detail: her parents didn't know. They really didn't know _Killian,_ either. They knew Liam, as he was a captain in their navy, and they knew he had a brother, but they _certainly_ didn't know Killian as well as she did.

Emma blushed visibly, and Henry caught her. "What's got you all red?" He teased, bouncing Leo on his lap.

"Nothing," Emma shook her head rapidly, repeating, "nothing."

Henry raised an eyebrow. "Nothing, really? Not even the younger Jones brother you've been running around with for nearly a year?"

Emma gaped at her younger brother, completely taken aback by his knowledge.

"You two aren't as discreet as you think, Em. Especially not in the past month." Henry added.

Finally, Emma could form words, "How do you….know? And _what_ do you know?"

"Em, I am your brother. You got way happier all of a sudden around a year ago, and then I saw you two in the gardens late one night about five months ago. I figured if you wanted me to know, you would tell me. And this past month…well, let's just say your little brother knows you won't be quite so innocent for your husband." Henry smirked, and his words left Emma a blushing mess.

She wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

When Emma didn't respond, Henry added, "Em, you're my big sister, and I love you, but be careful. And if you love this guy, you've got to tell mom and dad. They'll understand. Just because you think you have to marry Bae for the kingdom doesn't mean you can't be happy."

Emma smiled, grateful for her little brother's words. For such a young kid, he really was wise.

Sighing, she stood, kissing both her brother's foreheads in goodbye. "Henry, take care of Leo. I'm going to go talk to Regina."

* * *

Emma finds Regina in her suite, in the east wing of the castle. Roland, Robin's four year old son, is sitting on the ground playing with toys while Regina reads a book. Robin must be with her father, working. It's touching to Emma that Robin trusts Regina with his son, even after all she's done. _True Love must really have some meaning,_ Emma thinks.

Regina looks up at the sound of Emma closing her door. "Emma?" She smiles at her granddaughter, putting down her book.

"Hey, Regina," Emma sighs. Of all the people she expected to talk to about this, she never thought it would be the former Evil Queen. "I need your advice about something."

The older woman's eyebrows raised, and she picked up Roland to bring him to his babysitter. She dismissed her then, sending her to get Roland some lunch. Grabbing Emma's hand, they both sat down on the couch. "What is it, darling?"

Emma drew in a shaky breath. What was she supposed to say? _Regina, I've been in love with someone other than my fiancé for over a year now, and I need you on my side when my parents flip._ God, she was so screwed.

At Emma's silence, Regina spoke up. "You know you can tell me anything. I'm not your parents."

Regina had a point- she wasn't her parents. She wasn't the queen anymore. She didn't really have any authority. But Emma was pretty sure that if she didn't tell _someone,_ she might explode.

"I need your help." Emma finally spoke. "Mom told me about when you were younger, and how you had an arranged marriage but loved someone else. So I figured if anyone was going to understand what kind of place I was in, it would be you."

Regina sighed. "Who is he?" She asked simply, not seeming annoyed but not pleased with Emma either.

Biting her lip, Emma responded, "Killian Jones."

"Liam Jones' little brother?" Emma nodded. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. I've noticed you spending quite a lot of time with him lately. How long has this been going on?"

Emma shrugged. "A year or so."

"And you've said nothing to your parents?" Regina gasped as Emma shook her head. "Emma, I'm going to tell you what I'm sure so many others have told you. If you truly love this boy, you have to be honest with your parents, because if anyone is going to understand, it's them. They love you more than anything in this world, and all they want is for you to be happy. Right now, they think you're happy with Baelfire. You need to talk to them, tell them the truth. I promise you they'll understand. And if it will make you feel better, I'll go with you."

Emma nodded. "Thank you, Regina."

Regina smiled. "You know I'm here for you, Emma."

Emma smiled gratefully.

* * *

Emma's changing into her parents' favorite gown- it's pink, with flowers covering it and too long to walk in, but she figures if she's gonna disappoint her parents, she may as well look pretty- when she hears a knock at the door. It's probably Baelfire. They'd agreed to tell their parents _today_ , and there was no rescheduling this time. But when Emma opens the door, it's Liam Jones.

Emma's only met Liam a few times, when he was talking with her parents and she was exchanging secret glances with his brother. He's a little taller than his brother and his hair is lighter, but they have the same eyes, and they're both equally handsome.

"Your highness," Liam greets. "I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment."

She's confused, that's about the only thing she knows for sure when she responds, "Sure," and closes her bedroom door to follow Liam down the hall, both of them silent as they walk. Emma has no idea why Killian's brother would be coming to see her, especially now. As far as she knows, Killian hadn't said anything to Liam about their relationship. After walking for a few minutes, they end up in the surprisingly empty library, Liam sighing as he stands in front of her.

When he doesn't speak, Emma asks, "What can I do for you, Captain?"

Liam shrugs. "Your highness, I've heard some rumors from around the castle. About you and my brother." _Well, straight to the point, then._ "And I do live with my brother, so wasn't difficult to notice when he went missing for the past month. Now, I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but I want to ensure that my brother is not going to get hurt."

Emma smiles. She's happy that her future brother-in-law (hopefully) cares so much for his brother. "Liam, I can assure you that I have no intentions of hurting your brother. I love him, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him."

"And yet you're engaged to another man." Liam crosses his arms.

Emma nods. "Yes, I am. But not for much longer. Baelfire and I are going to talk to our parents today. I promise you, Liam, I would never do anything to hurt him."

Liam takes a deep breath, then nods. "I'm glad. I've seen my brother over the past year, and I knew something was up. He's happy. I wasn't sure why, but now I know. I'm glad he has you."

"Thank you, Liam." Emma smiles. "Well, I have to get going. I'm supposed to meet Baelfire at my door. Thank you for speaking with me, Liam. It was very nice to meet you."

"You as well, your highness." Liam kisses her hand.

She shakes her head. "Please, call me Emma. But I'm sure you won't listen. You have no idea how long it took me to convince your brother to call me by my real name."

"Just a testament to how well I raised him, _Emma."_ Liam responds, and with one last smile, Liam leaves the library, heading out and presumably back to his ship.

Emma looks around, ensuring that no one else is in the library, and leaves, walking back to her room and finding Baelfire at her door. "Sorry I'm late." She apologizes. "I was speaking with one of our Navy Captains."

"No worries," Bae responds. "Are you ready to do this?"

Emma nods. "I've never been more ready."

* * *

Over the past few weeks, Emma's gotten to know Bae. She knows that he's not very fond of his father's magic, that his mother died when he was just a boy, and that he's been in love with one of his father's servants (which had been hired after he returned to his castle), Tink, for about three years now, and has been hiding it from his father for the same time because he's terrified of how he'll react. Bae also knows a lot about her, about her life growing up and the tensions between her mother and Regina, and being raised as a Crown Princess, and she had also told him about Killian. Emma has seen Tink around the castle, as she agreed to stay with some of the other staff of Rumplestiltskin's to help Bae adjust to life in the new castle. Emma seen the look on the poor blonde's face, one that Killian shares with her- the look of someone in love with someone she doesn't think she can have.

Luckily, Bae's father returned to his kingdom a few days ago, and they're only going to speak with her parents. It's much better than the alternative, one where they have to stand terrified as they wait for the Dark One's wrath. No, they just have to tell her parents. And fear Snow White's wrath. Which, in so many ways, is more terrifying than Rumplestilskin.

Regina and Robin are both in the hall with her mother and father when they arrive, watching Ruth and Roland run around after each other. Leo's sitting with Henry a few feet away, and everyone looks up when the two of them enter the room.

"Emma!" David smiles when he sees his daughter, thrilled with the image he has of his perfect daughter, the image she was about to shatter.

This was not going to be easy.

"Mom, Dad, Bae and I need to talk to you." Emma states, moving to stand in front of their thrones. It's intimidating, really, how much taller the chairs make them look.

Snow shoots her husband a concerned look. "What is it, honey?"

Emma sucks in a breath, eyeing Bae and then Regina. Regina gives her a small nod, which is all she needs to suck it up and tell the truth. "Bae and I don't want to get married."

There's a moment where her parents are silent, taking in her words and not saying anything, and if anything that's worse than their actual response it's the silence.

Her father stays silent, but Snow responds, "What do you mean you don't want to get married?"

Bae and Emma both hesitate. On the one hand, they can tell the truth: they both love other people. On the other, they could lie, and make something up as they go along. But Emma's never been very good at lying to her parents, and there are already at least two other people in the room who know the truth, so telling the truth seems like the better option.

"I mean…" Emma trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"She means Emma and I won't be happy married." Bae cuts in, and Emma couldn't be happier. "With all due respect, your majesties, I do not love your daughter. I can't. And she does not love me either."

David raises an eyebrow, his expression unreadable, but her mother looks both confused and angry. "I don't understand." Snow states after a moment. "Emma, you said this was alright with you. You said you would do it."

Emma nodded. "I know I said that, mom, but I lied. I thought I could do this but I can't. I can't love Bae when I'm hopelessly in love with someone else."

"And who might this be?" David speaks for the first time since their confession, shocking her. He doesn't seem angry or upset with her, just curious.

Emma isn't sure how to respond to her father; she knows the answer, but is she really willing to tell him the truth? Jeopardize Killian's career?

"She's not the only one in love with someone else." And there Bae is again, swooping in to save the day. "Emma and I don't want to get married because we both want to marry others. She can tell you his name later, but I can promise you he'll be much better for her than I would ever be."

Snow doesn't respond. She merely stands, walks down the stairs and out of the room. Emma's mouth drops open at her mother's response, tears coming to her eyes despite her willing herself not to cry.

David comes down the steps after her, but he doesn't follow his wife. Instead, he wraps his arms around her daughter and she buries her head in his shoulder, tears falling on his jacket.

"Emma, she just needs time." He assures her. "Your mother loves you and wants you to be happy." David pulls back and places a hand on Bae's arm. "We want both of you to be happy. We'll speak with your father, and if he refuses, you're free to marry who you want in our kingdom."

Bae smiles gratefully. "Thank you, King David."

"It's my pleasure." He responds. "Why don't you go tell her the good news? I'd like to speak with my daughter."

Bae nods and walks quickly from the room, presumably on the hunt for Tink. Regina and Robin follow suit, taking the kids with them. Emma smiles at Regina who smiles back, thrilled for her granddaughter. When the room is empty, Emma turns back to her father.

"You're not mad at me?" Emma asks sheepishly, grabbing at the sleeve of her dress.

David laughed at her. "Oh course I'm not mad at you, baby. You're my daughter, and I want you to be happy. Look at me, Emma. I'm a shepherd that married a queen. Whoever this boy is, if he loves you as much as you seem to love him, I'll be fine with it."

After another moment, he added. "I would like to meet him at some point, though."

Emma laughed, grateful that she had such an amazing father.

* * *

Emma's mother hasn't made another move to speak with her, but she assumes her father's spoken to her. Meanwhile, Emma had found herself in the gardens. There were beautiful yellow buttercups that had started growing last week, and middlemist flowers growing just across from them, each on either side of the path she was walking on. It had been nearly two hours since they spoke to their parents, and Bae had found Emma in the garden soon after that to tell her that Tink had accepted his proposal and that they wished to get married in this kingdom. He hadn't spoken to his father yet but wanted to marry Tink as soon as possible. When Emma expressed her concern, he assured Emma that if his father truly loved him, he would accept his new daughter-in-law.

Emma just hoped he was right.

She, on the other hand, hadn't gotten a chance to speak with Killian since she had spoken with her parents. After all, she wasn't sure what her mother thought anyway. The garden had always calmed her, and she didn't have plans to leave any time soon.

"Emma!" The sound of her name being called behind her confused her, but when she turned around, she was thrilled to see Killian. He was dressed in his work clothes and was running towards her, cheeks flushed from sprinting.

Emma smiled, and ran towards him. "Killian! What are you doing here?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground, even spinning her around. When her feet hit the ground again she looked up at him, finding a brilliant smile on his face.

"Your brother came and found me. Told me you had talked with your parents and that your father told you the marriage was off. Is it true?" He asked, brushing some hair out of her eyes.

Emma nodded enthusiastically. "It's true. Bae is already engaged to someone else. Which means…"

Killian raised an eyebrow, teasing her. "Means what, Love?"

Her lips broke into a wide smile. "Which means that we don't have to hide anymore. My father just wants me to be happy, and if I'm happy with you, he won't do anything to stop it."

Without further hesitation, Killian cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. It was surreal, not having to look around and wonder who could be watching them or worry about getting caught. Technically, this wasn't against the rules. Emma wasn't engaged, and she could kiss whoever she wanted.

When he pulled away, Killian asked, "What about your mother? What did she say?"

Emma opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by another voice behind her. "Emma's mother agrees with her father. She just wants her to be happy. And clearly, she's happy with you."

She found her mother behind her, smiling at the two. If Emma had been unsure of her mother's opinion before, she knew it now. And she couldn't be happier.

"Thanks, mom." Emma responded, moving away from Killian to hug her.

Snow nodded. "Killian, it would be our pleasure if you joined us for dinner tonight. I'd like to get to know the man that my daughter's been off gallivanting with for the past year."

Emma raised a brow. "Honey, I'm your mother. Did you think I wouldn't notice something was different about you? I was waiting for you to tell me who you'd met, but in the past month, I'd just assumed it was Bae." Snow confessed.

"I'd love to join you for dinner tonight, your highness." Killian responded, an arm wrapping back around Emma's waist.

Snow smiled, then walked back out of the garden. Emma smiled as she watched her mother leave, glancing back up at Killian. Placing her hand on his cheek, she said, "I love you. Always."

Killian leaned down to kiss her, lips brushing hers lightly. "And I you. Always."

* * *

Emma's eighteen and six months at her coronation, and she's unmarried.

She's wearing a light blue dress covered in feathers with a silver top, blonde hair falling in waves over her shoulders, engagement ring shining on her finger. She'd angrily lashed out at everyone who insisted that she needed to be married to take the throne, insisting that planning a coronation _and_ a wedding would be far too much. (Frankly, she just wanted to prove to Killian that she wasn't marrying him because she needed a king, but because she loved him and didn't care what the kingdom demanded).

Emma's entire family is there, her mother sitting up on her throne for one last time. Her father is standing off to her mother's side, no longer wearing his own crown but a smaller one. All her siblings stand at the bottom of the steps, watching their sister proudly. And Killian is there too, standing next to his brother, watching Emma with his bright blue eyes filled with pride and love.

The entire coronation is a fairly simple affair, Emma swearing on a book to rule over the kingdom and fulfill her duties and then allowing the priest to remove the crown from her mother's head and place it on hers.

When Emma looks out over the crowd, her subjects, her people, she smiles at the cheers and the kind faces she sees, thrilled at the fact that her people are proud to have her as their new queen.

And when she sits out on her balcony later that night, Killian's arms wrapped around her waist and running through her hair, he asks, "Are you happy, Love?"

"I'll be happier when we're married," she responds, arms going around his neck.

Killian smiles, "Me too, Love. Me too."

But when he kisses her on the balcony that night, after she's been crowned queen and her engagement ring shining in the moonlight, she realizes she might have been lying, because she doesn't know if she's ever been happier.

 **I know this kind of seems like an ending, but there's two chapters left that are complete fluff. Hope you're liking this so far!**

 **Also, Emma's coronation dress can be found here: p/_eBkDcvhut/**

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	3. Chapter 3

**So I was going to post this yesterday, and then I completely forgot because of all the comic-con madness. But here it is! This originally would have been the last chapter, but it got way out of hand and the logical splitting point was the end, so instead you get another chapter of pure fluff just like this one is. Enjoy!**

Chapter Three

Emma's eighteen and eleven months when her mother approaches her about just when she'll be getting married.

Snow wasn't _opposed_ to Emma taking the throne unmarried, but she wasn't thrilled about it either. She can tell her daughter is overwhelmed ruling the country by herself, and David's been helping Killian prepare for the responsibilities he'll take on as king. In Snow's mind, Killian is more than ready to be king, and she _really_ wants to plan her daughter's wedding.

But Emma isn't sure she wants to get married. After all, she's queen because she took a stand and _didn't_ get married. Of course she wants to marry Killian. She loves him, and wants to spend the rest of her life with him. But this soon after the start of her reign? She'd practically be disproving everything she's worked for.

She tells Killian about it that night. Her mother and father don't know that he's practically living in her room, and undoubtedly would not approve of it.

"Would it really be so bad? Marrying me, I mean." Killian asks her after she tells him what her mother said.

Emma gapes up at him, taken aback by his words. "No, Killian! I want to marry you, trust me. You have to understand why I'm hesitant, right?"

Killian nods, but averts his eyes. "I know. You're trying to uphold an image. But Emma, I've been waiting to marry you since the first time I laid eyes on you, the day my brother and I went to speak with your parents. You were there in your beautiful red dress and you barely even looked at me, but I knew, no matter what I had to do, I was going to get to know you. I love you, Emma. It's always going to be you. I don't need to marry you to know that you love me, but it'd be nice for everyone to see it, wouldn't it?"

She smiles, his words as eloquent as ever, and kisses him soundly and quickly before pulling back.

"Alright," she agrees, tucking his ever-growing hair behind his ear. "I'll marry you."

"Really?" The surprise on his face makes her laugh.

"Did you really think I wouldn't marry you?" She asks.

Killian shrugs. "I know how stubborn you can be, Love. I thought it would take much more convincing."

"You know, we might as well be married." Emma responds after a moment. "I mean, you practically live in my room, and we're always together. And it's not like we...waited."

He chuckles as a response. "Yes, because not telling your parents that I sneak into your room every night is totally like being married."

"I suppose you're right." Emma smiles. "I'll tell my mom tomorrow, alright?"

"Oh, good luck with that, Love." He teases. "She's going to be a nightmare, isn't she?"

Emma nods. "She's been wanting to plan our wedding for the past five months. She's going to be a nightmare. But don't think you're going to get out of this, buddy. She's going to make you taste cakes and try on hundreds of different outfits and develop a guest list when I would be fine with your brother marrying us on your ship."

"I'm not sure your mother would be, Darling." Killian reached to blow out the candle, clearly tired.

Despite the dark room, Emma continued to speak. "Who cares what my mother wants? It's our wedding. I have to draw the line somewhere."

Killian nodded, rolling onto his side and wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her into him. With a content sigh, he buried his face in her neck and said, "Whatever you want, Love, I'll be okay with. But Liam worked me ragged today. I think he's trying to get as much out of me as he possibly can before I leave."

Emma giggled. She wasn't tired, but was happy to lie in his arms and let him sleep until she fell as well. "Get some sleep, Kill. I love you."

"Love you too," he mumbled, and within seconds, his breathing had evened.

* * *

A week later, Emma's wearing a casual white dress with silver sparkles and the material more than comfortable, but her mother's going to make her take it off to try on countless uncomfortable dresses.

As soon as Emma had told her mother she wanted to get married, she had launched into full mom-zilla mode. Emma figured it was because she needed projects now that she wasn't queen now, and that allowing her mother to take care of things (only some, mind you) would be the easiest thing to do. First, she'd asked about colors- Emma wanted either light blue or red, Killian had insisted he was fine with either- and then she'd asked about flowers, and then it was cakes, and Emma was completely overwhelmed. Nothing had been finalized yet, and today was the day her mother was bringing in dresses for her to try.

Emma had chosen her bridesmaids three days ago. She'd asked her childhood friend, Aurora, along with Belle and Tink. Her maid of honor, of course, was going to be Elsa, but she had her responsibilities in Arendelle, and would be arriving with her sister in about two weeks. Meanwhile, her other friends were there to be Emma's source of sanity- and give opinions- while her mother handed her dress after dress. Regina and Ruby were there too, more to keep her mother under control than anything else.

The one she was trying on now was far too voluminous, the bodice squeezing her breasts uncomfortably, the gloves looking completely stupid. Still, she stepped out of the dressing room to show her friends and family.

Snow gasped at the sight of her daughter. "Oh, Emma, you look beautiful!"

Emma sighed heavily. "Mom, I feel like a marshmallow."

Snow's eyes narrowed. "So this isn't the one?"

"Of course not." Emma sighed heavily, plopping down on the chair next to Belle. "I'm never going to find a dress, am I?"

Belle chuckled and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. Meanwhile, Tink said, "Emma, don't worry about it. You'll find a dress. It took me seven tries to find a dress for my wedding, but when you see your dress, you'll know it."

Three dresses later, Emma knew she was right. Her mother wasn't thrilled about the dress, she could tell, but she didn't care. Killian would love it. She loved it. It was _perfect._

Emma was sure the dresses where the end of it, but clearly it wasn't. She forced Emma to settle on a color a half hour after lunch ( _force_ is a harsh word, she was already pretty much set on light blue) and then brought her to test cakes. By the time Emma's father found her hiding out in the library, she was close to falling asleep.

"Your mother running you ragged?" David joked, coming to sit across from her on the bench.

Emma nodded. "I'm the queen, and I have queen responsibilities, but I also have to plan a wedding and be a good sister and a good daughter and a good fiancé all while not screaming at any of you."

"You know, your mother just wants to make sure this day is perfect for you." Her father tells her.

She knows he's right, but she's exhausted and annoyed and just wants to fast-forward to the wedding and get all the planning over with. She tells her father that, and he nods in understanding. Her father hugs her, stating, "If your mother is being overbearing, just tell me. I'll talk to her."

Emma chuckles. After another moment, she says, "Dad?" He hums in response. "Mom's being overbearing."

They both laugh, and she thinks she just might be ready to go face her mother again.

* * *

Just as she expected, Emma gets married a month later, just before her nineteenth birthday. They'll spend her birthday on their honeymoon, which should be...interesting.

Emma's feels nervous even though she's willing herself not to be, her stomach flipping as she smooths out the fabric of her dress over and over again while fiddling with her ring at the same time. Her little sister is running around the room happily, throwing flowers prematurely and then being instructed to pick them up again by Ruby. Belle and Tink are frantically helping each other finish their makeup, Aurora's playing with Leo (co-ring bearer with Henry, since the baby can't walk down the aisle on his own), but Elsa's standing at Emma's side. Emma doesn't want to run, far from it, but she's having the normal wedding jitters everyone (hopefully everyone) has. She's anxious to get down the aisle, she's anxious to get married, and she's anxious to call Killian her husband.

Elsa's pacing along with Emma. "What's going on, Ems?"

"Nothing," Emma admits honestly. "I just want to get married. I've waited long enough. I don't want to wait any longer."

Elsa smiles. "I'm happy for you, Emma. Killian's a wonderful man. I know I should do the typical best friend thing where I tell you that if he hurts you I'll kill him, but I know he'll never hurt you."

Emma can't help the tears that form in her eyes at her friend's words, but then her mom is running over and fussing over her makeup and Emma can't even thank Elsa for the words of encouragement, because without even trying, they've calmed her down.

Her father comes into the room a few moment later, peeking his head into the door. He gasps at the sight of his daughter, eyes widening. Emma doesn't usually like to compliment herself, but she does look beautiful. Her strapless dress is covered in a lace pattern, with a long train that falls far behind her when she walks. Her hair's been curled into waves (Killian's favorite) and her makeup is light but noticeable, the veil her father puts over her face complimenting her dress perfectly.

"You ready, Emma?" David asks, offering her his arm.

Emma smiles, taking a deep breath. "I've never been more ready."

Killian looks extremely handsome, his brother standing next to him smiling, the blue of Killian's shirt accentuating his eyes. He's got a darker blue cape on, and his pants are dark and then she's not looking at his outfit anymore she's looking at _him,_ as he stares at her with nothing but love in his eyes, taking in Emma as if it's the first and last time he'll ever see her.

Her father kisses her cheek when she reaches the end of the aisle, lifting her veil over her head. He places her hand in Killian's, the couple beaming at each other. Killian helps her up onto the altar, making sure she doesn't trip on her dress. Before the minister can start the ceremony, he leans over to whisper in her ear, "you look stunning, Emma."

Emma smiles in response, and then turns to the minister, who begins his speech. He talks about knowing Emma since she was a child (and he has) and how he's never seen her happier than she has been since she met Killian Jones. He goes into the formalities of the ceremony, and then allows the couple to turn to each other and say their vows.

Killian goes first, and Emma knows she's gonna cry.

"Emma, I can remember the first time I ever laid eyes on you. And I've never told you this, because I didn't want you to think I was some kind of creepy stalker." Emma laughs at that, though she's completely clueless. "It was about three months before we started courting, and I was walking out of the castle with Liam. And I remember you were sitting in the garden with Ruth, running around with her chasing butterflies. You looked so beautiful, smiling and laughing. The sun was hitting you in just the right way, so your hair was shining just as much as your eyes were with happiness. And I had stopped, just to stare at you. Naturally, Liam teased me, but I didn't care. All I cared about was figuring out who you were so I could see you again.

"And then you finally looked at me that day in your parents' throne room. Your green eyes caught mine and I felt like my heart stopped beating, and that's when I knew I wanted to spend every other day of my life looking into those eyes. I know our courtship wasn't the most traditional, and that it wasn't your parents' ideal way for you to find a husband, but I wouldn't change a thing about it. I fell in love with you for _you,_ not because of your duties. I love the Princess Emma I fell in love with, and I love the new Queen Emma. And I'd be honored to be your king, if you'd have me."

Emma wasn't even trying to hide her tears when he finished, and had to take a moment to compose herself before she could begin speaking.

Smiling, she began, "Killian Jones, you know that you've always been better with words. You've brought me to tears with a mere sentence before, so I know anything I say isn't going to measure up to what you just said. I just want you to know that I love you and that I wouldn't take back anything that we've gone through. The good and the bad and the ugly, which all don't matter anymore because we're finally going to get our happy ending. I loved the shy lieutenant the day I met him just as much as I do today, just as much as I'll love the confident king years and years from now, when we're old and wrinkly and our grandchildren are running around our gardens.

"Thank you, Killian Jones, for teaching me so many things. You've taught me how to love someone like your life depended on it. What it's like to wake up in the morning with someone on your mind and then go to sleep with that same person filling your thoughts. Thank you, Killian Jones, for teaching me what it's like to love and be loved. And I'm so glad you're the one that taught me that."

The minister finishes the ceremony, but Emma and Killian aren't paying much attention. They've only got eyes for each other, everyone else seeming irrelevant until the minister tells Killian he can kiss his bride, his arms wrapping around her waist as hers go around his neck and tangle in his hair, and then the rest of the world disappears again, just the two of them, and she's finally got her happy ending.

* * *

Killian and Emma are leaving on their honeymoon the next day, and when they get back to her (theirs, now) bedroom, they're both too exhausted to do anything but help each other undress and then go to bed.

When they wake up, however, is another story.

She wakes up to blue eyes gazing at her intently, a small smile on her lips at the sight of Killian's face. "Morning, husband." She hums, stretching her arms and legs out.

"Good morning, my beautiful wife." He responds, continuing to watch her.

Emma smiles. "You know, I do like the sound of that."

"I do too," He responded, running a hand over her arm. "How are you feeling?"

Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean? I feel fine."

Killian shrugged. "I don't know. I've just noticed you've been a little...nauseous in the mornings."

Emma gasped, placed her hand over her mouth, and rolled over onto her back.

"Love, I'm not implying anything. I've just noticed that you've complained about your stomach lately, but I thought it might just be a bug. But it's been nearly a week and you haven't said anything about it. I just thought I would suggest the possibility."

Biting her lip, Emma moved her hand down to her stomach. Quietly, she admits, "it makes sense, but it doesn't make sense."

"Maybe you should talk to your mother. Or Regina," He suggests, smiling at her.

"You don't seem upset." Emma notes.

Killian raises an eyebrow at her. "How could I be upset, Emma? I love you. Isn't this what we were planning for, someday? We're married, and you can't be too far along, so it won't be difficult to hide. Of course I'm not upset, Emma. If this true, then we're going to have a baby. We're going to be parents."

Emma nodded, moving her hand to cup the side of his face. "We're going to be parents." She repeated, unsure of what else to say.

A smile spread across her face to match his as he brought his lips to hers. Maybe it wasn't exactly how they had planned and maybe it wasn't perfect timing, but it didn't matter because this baby would be one of the most loved in the history of their family. The two were still smiling minutes later, Emma having found her way on top of him as she ran her hands along his arms. They got lost in each other, lips moving in harmony and legs tangling, and it really became clear to Emma just how she ended up pregnant as he rolled over on top of her.

Then the door to her bedroom was opening and Ruth was bounding in, running and jumping up and down on her bed. Her mother wasn't far behind, scolding her daughter for disrupting her sister's and now brother-in-law's morning.

Emma wanted to bury herself under her blankets she was so embarrassed. Yes, she had clothes on and nothing had happened (yet), but she was sure her mother was jumping to all sorts of conclusions.

It was even worse when her father walked in, Leo stumbling around with his new walking abilities as he followed his mother, David stopping abruptly as he took in the state of his daughter.

"Sorry, Emma." Snow apologized. "Ruth wanted to see you and I couldn't stop her in time."

"Don't worry about it mom-" Emma started, but then suddenly it didn't matter that her whole family-minus Henry, thank god, she would never hear the end of this- was in the room and that she was in a short pink nightgown because her stomach lurched and she needed the bathroom _now._

She heard Killian follow her as she emptied her stomach, his hands holding her hair back. Snow's concerned voice flowed from her room as Emma laid back against the wall, Killian sitting across from her before standing to get her a glass of water.

"Emma, honey, are you alright?" Snow asked, looking in concern from the doorway.

She nodded, rinsing her mouth with the water her husband had given her. "Where are the kids?"

Your father took them downstairs to get them some breakfast." She responded. "Killian, do you mind if I talk to Emma alone for a moment?"

Killian hesitated, looking over to Emma for reassurance. She nodded lightly, and he walked from the bathroom into the adjoining bedroom, reaching for his trunk as Snow shut the door behind him.

Her mother leaned down to sit next to her, grabbing her daughter's hand. With a heavy sigh, Snow asked, "How long have you known?"

"Known what?" Emma lied, attempting to convince her mother that she was still just as innocent as she thought.

"Emma, don't lie to me." Snow scowled. "You and Killian have been together for a while, and I wouldn't be angry if you two were...together before the wedding. I just need to know the truth so that we can plan."

She shrugged. "I don't know. I've been a little nauseous for the past week and I've been sick a few times, and on top of that I've been tired lately. I thought it was just wedding jitters and planning and everything, so I didn't think anything of it until Killian suggested it this morning. I can't be that far along, so it shouldn't be too hard to hide."

Snow nodded. "Well, we can talk to Regina today. She'll be able to tell us one way or another."

"Are you mad at me?" She asked.

Snow shakes her head. "Of course I'm not mad. I'm thrilled. Happy to be a grandmother. Though I'm far too young."

Emma laughs, leaning her head on her mother's shoulder. A sudden wave of panic washed over her at the situation. "How am I going to do it, mom? I'm too young to be a mother _and_ the queen."

"You're not alone in this, Ems." Her mother assures her. "You've got yourself a handsome king now, whose going to be a wonderful husband and father to this baby. And you've got me and your father and your siblings and Ruby and Granny and Regina. It's going to be fine, Emma. You'll be a great mother _and_ a great queen."

Snow's daughter smiles and leans her head on her mother's shoulder, grateful for her words of encouragement. After a moment of silence, Emma asks, "Can my husband come back in now?" Her words made her mother laugh.

"Come on in, Killian." Emma cocked her head to the side, but the door opened immediately and he came into the room, sitting down on Emma's other side. "I know him well enough now to know that he wouldn't be far if he was worried about you," Snow clarifies.

Emma smiles at him, happy to know he was close by. "Why don't you two get dressed? I'll meet you in Regina's room." Snow told them. With one last kiss to Emma's forehead, she stood and left the room. They heard the door shut and she turned to Killian again with a smile.

"You sure you want to leave today, Love? We can delay a few months until you're starting to feel better." Killian reasoned, but Emma shook her head.

"If Regina _does_ tell me I'm pregnant, I'd rather leave now. In a few months I'm going to be bloated and miserable and exhausted, so I'd rather go now. Besides, if we go now, it'll look more believable that we actually did get pregnant after we got married." Emma responded.

Taking a deep breath, Killian asked, "Are you sure you're okay with this? I mean, I know we're young, and you've just become queen…"

Emma shakes her head. "I know you were outside the door, so I know you heard the conversation I had with my mother. And stop asking me how I feel, Killian! I'm happy, truly."

Killian smiles at her in response, and kisses her lightly. Pulling away, she adds, "come on, let's get dressed. We've got to go talk to Regina."

He helps her up off the bathroom tile and is dressed by the time she's finally picked out a dress. She doesn't have many dresses without corsets (she's paranoid) but manages to find a yellow one anyway. She suspects she'll have to borrow some dresses from her mother towards the end, since she was only pregnant with Leo a few years ago. Killian hands her a black shawl and helps her wrap it around her arms, running his hands along her arms before leaning in to kiss her neck.

"You ready?" He asks, leaning his cheek against her head.

With a small smile, she responds, "I've never been more ready."

 **I'm really no good at writing vows, so I tried my best. They felt really sappy and cliche, but whatever. Also, I know Emma and Killian are very young, but they're likely very mature (speaking as Emma** ** _is_** **queen) and I wanted to give them a happily ever after. Plus, I love the idea of captain swan parents. The last chapter is going to follow Emma's pregnancy, and I might write more if I'm ever in the mood.**

 **Lastly, Emma's wedding dress can be found here: pin/454793262353600395/ Let me know if the link doesn't work.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I hope you all enjoy this final installment! I think this was my favorite chapter to write, because I love the idea of Killian being a father. Thank you all!**

Chapter Four

She's pregnant.

There's no way Regina can tell if it's a boy or a girl this early, but she's definitely pregnant. Regina claimed she'd had her suspicions for a few weeks now but hadn't bothered to mention anything, and when Emma thinks about it, she figures she's nearly two months in.

Their things are already packed and in the carriage by the time Emma and Killian leave Regina's room. Snow assures Emma she'll take good care of the kingdom for the next few weeks, and David smiles and congratulates his daughter on _"everything"_ but Emma knows him well enough to know he's talking about the baby.

Liam is there too, and he's speaking with Killian in the corner while Emma says goodbye to her siblings. She sees Killian speak and then she watches as Liam smiles and Killian blushes, the two brothers sharing an embrace. Liam pulls away and approaches Emma, pulling his new sister-in-law into his arms and whispering in her ear, "If it's a boy, I expect at least one of his names to be mine."

Emma chuckles, glad that Killian's told his brother. It's still early, yes, but practically everyone in her family knows, and it would be unfair for Liam not to know. "I'll speak to your brother about it," she responds. "But I'm sure it won't take much convincing."

Her brother-in-law smiles at her when he pulls back, and Killian comes over at that moment to wrap an arm around her waist. "Take good care of her, little brother. And that little niece or nephew of mine."

Killian smiles, "Will do, big brother. And it would be nice if you would suck it up and finally propose to that wonderful girlfriend of yours. You know, before your little brother is married with a baby?"

Liam blushes, and Emma rolls her eyes at her husband. "Alright, you two, say your goodbyes. If we ever want to get out of here, we should leave now." Emma instructs.

They leave after Killian gives his brother one last hug and Emma hugs her parents again, climbing into the carriage and heading to their parents' summer palace. Although Emma had suggested spending their honeymoon at sea, her stomach had guaranteed otherwise and her mother had changed their plans at the last minute.

Emma makes them stop the carriage nearly twice because of motion sickness, and Killian fusses over her both times and insists that they should head back, but Emma's determined to have a honeymoon, nausea or not.

The summer palace is beautiful. Her parents spent their honeymoon there (ew) and so had her grandparents (double ew) but she'd been assured that the rooms had been cleaned. Besides, it's been nearly twenty years since her parents got married, and she's excited to spend two weeks there.

Killian doesn't let her help bring their things in or pick things up, no matter how much she persists that she's _pregnant,_ not dying. He cleans off a couch and instructs her to sit down and she watches while he cleans, the staff helping to bring bags in. It takes a few hours but then it's just them, lying on the couch she hasn't moved from in forever, and he's talking to her stomach like the crazy man he is.

"...then there's Leo. You two will probably be good friends. He'll be around your age. That's crazy, isn't it? That your uncle is only a few years older than you? Your grandparents wanted lots of kids, and they got it. Speaking of, your grandparents are going to be the best grandparents in the world. They already love you so much, and we all just found out about you this morning. We all love you already. Isn't that right, mommy?"

Emma laughs. "Yeah, daddy. That's right."

* * *

They're sitting in their bedroom a few months later, both of them exhausted from a long day. Killian had been crowned king a month after they got back from their honeymoon, and now one's saying anything to them about the fact that Emma's showing far too early for the baby to have been conceived on the honeymoon. And she's _definitely_ showing, there's no way around it. Despite making the announcement as early as possible, she'd been showing nearly a day after it.

"You know, we really should think about names." Emma states while Killian has his hand on her stomach. Her pink nightgown is very thin and allows for him to feel the baby kick, which he hasn't done in a while.

(Yes, Emma thinks it's a boy. Killian insists girl, but she's not so sure).

Killian shrugs in response. "We could always wait to meet her."

"Yes, but when _he_ arrives and doesn't have a name, you're going to feel bad." Emma teases. Her hand goes to her stomach as the baby kicks and Killian smiles, clearly taking it as a sign.

"See, Love, she doesn't like you calling her a boy." He smirks.

Emma rolls her eyes. "I still think we should talk about names. Boy or girl."

He nods. "Alright. Have you put any thought into it?"

"I've always thought I would have my father's name in there somewhere. And now your brother's. But not as first names." Emma tells him.

"Still going on and on about a boy, huh?" Killian chuckles. "What about a first name?"

Emma shrugs. "I don't know. Middle names are as far as I got."

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter, since it's a girl." He gasps again as the baby kicks his hand. "See?"

Emma shakes her head. "Did you ever think maybe he's kicking you because he's angry you keep calling him a girl? I do have a name for a daughter, though."

"Really?" Killian lifts an eyebrow. "Maybe you do secretly want a girl, Love. Tell me, what are you thinking?"

"Well, the order is interchangeable, really." Emma hesitates before responding, "Eliza Eva."

Killian's blue eyes widen. "After my mother?" He didn't remember his mother well, but he'd been told her name countless times: Elizabeth. Liam can remember their father calling her Eliza, and Emma's loved the name ever since she heard it the first time. Eva's her grandmother's name, and she thinks the combination of names is perfect.

"Yes, after your mother." Emma smiles.

His face seems to melt and he places his other hand on her stomach, eyes watering. "I love it, Emma. I love you." He responds, kissing her lightly.

They both take to calling the baby Eliza, after that, because Killian's somehow convinced her it's a girl. She talks to the baby often, just because she wants her to hear her mother's voice. Although they're trying to keep names secret (they'd decided on Charles David for a boy, but they're both convinced they won't need to use it), Snow accidentally overhears her say the baby's name, and she thinks it's perfect. She's sworn to secrecy, but when David accidentally says, "hi Eliza," after he greets Emma, she's clear on how poorly her mother can keep a secret.

("I couldn't not tell my husband, Emma!" Snow had responded. "He practically begged me to tell him!"

Emma had rolled her eyes, not angry but not impressed either).

Emma's mother insists on having a baby shower, and she invites some of Emma closest friends and family. Elsa and Anna come, and the surprise is one of Emma's favorite gifts. Even some of the people bring gifts, excited for the new royal baby and therefore the new heir to the throne.

Despite being convinced the baby's a girl, everyone gets her gender neutral gifts. Bae and Tink come from their home in Rumplestiltskin's kingdom (he hadn't been happy about the marriage, but Bae _was_ his son, and he folded eventually) with their son, and they bring her a few outfits. Elsa and Anna give her a stuffed snowman (which Emma loves and might keep for herself). Aurora and Philip give her a bassinet, and Belle gives her a few children's books. Emma's final present is from her mother and father, who make her walk (more like waddle) up the stairs. She finds herself in front of her old room, just down the hall from their new one.

"Mom, what are we doing here? Walking is not my favorite thing right now." Emma complains, hand rubbing her stomach to calm Eliza's kicking.

Snow smiles. "Emma, you're going to love this, I promise!"

David smiles too, opening the door to her old room, and Emma gasps. It had been changed to accommodate Emma as she grew up, but it's been changed back now. It's not the same as Emma's was as a baby (for one, the wardrobe is gone; bad memories), but it's still just as beautiful. There's toys all over the room, and her old mobile is above the crib. There's a rocking chair across from it and a carriage is on the balcony.

The gesture brings tears to Emma's eyes, and she curses her hormones while she hugs both of her parents tight.

"Thank you guys so much," Emma cries, pulling away to look around the room.

Snow smiles. "You should thank Killian. This was his idea. He figured the baby would enjoy a room that used to be yours. Plus, Regina made a hallway that connects your room to the baby's room."

Emma turned around to smile at Regina, who was lingering at the door to the room, unsure if she should come in. Ignoring the woman's reluctance, Emma walked over to hug Regina gratefully. Regina smiled at her when she pulled away, asking, "You're still sure you don't want to know the baby's gender?"

She nodded. "Killian and I agreed. Besides, they'll be here soon enough. We don't have to wait that much longer."

Snow side-eyed Emma; her daughter had been calling the baby a girl for so long, she had assumed she knew. David look confused too, but Emma didn't say anything to them.

"What do you think, Love?" Emma smiled at the sound of Killian's voice in the doorway, happy to see her husband.

"I love it. Killian, it's perfect." She responded, grabbing his hand and dragging him into the room.

Emma could feel her mother's gaze on the two of them, grateful when she said, "We'll leave you two alone."

Killian watched her as she sat down in the rocking chair, white dress falling down on the floor. She was exhausted, the busy day taking a toll on her, and she still had a meeting to attend.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her, looking on the shelves to examine the toys there.

Emma sighed. "I'm exhausted. My feet and back are killing me. And Eliza won't stop moving and I can't sleep." At Killian's raised brow, Emma added, "But I love the room. It's perfect. And I can't wait until she's sleeping in here instead of inside of me."

He chuckled. "Well, it's only a matter of time, Darling. And you could always try to take a nap now. I'll talk to her, try to calm her down."

It was a tempting offer, but Emma shook her head. "We have that meeting in a half hour, and we can't be late. And if I do fall asleep, I won't ever want to wake up."

"Alright, well, I'll be glad to talk to her until you fall asleep tonight, Love. I'll gladly sacrifice a night of sleep if that means you get some sleep." Emma nodded, thankful that she would finally (hopefully) get some sleep.

"I appreciate it, Kill." She thanked. "Now, you wanna help me get up, because it'll probably take that whole half hour just to get to the meeting hall."

Killian laughed and took her arm to help her up, which takes a moment. She takes the arm he offers her and walks out of the room with her King, where she finds Robin running around the halls with Roland and Leo.

"Your highnesses," Robin greets, and Leo runs happily over to Killian, who lifts him up into his arms.

Emma smiles. "Hi, Robin. Roland,"

Roland shyly smiles and hides behind his father. No matter how long he's lived in the castle, he's never really warmed up to most of the people. He loves Henry, and Regina, but isn't too keen on anyone else.

"How are you feeling, Emma?" Robin asks, patting Roland's head.

She shrugs. "Very pregnant. Eager to meet my baby."

Robin nods. "I understand that. I was very eager to meet Roland when Marion was…" He trails off. Despite being hopelessly in love with Regina, his late wife was still a sore subject. "Meeting your baby's going to be one of the best moments of your life. I'm happy for you guys."

Emma and Killian both nod. "We're excited," Killian admits. Leo smiles happily at Killian as he plays with the man's hair, and he smiles and starts to turn to the child when Emma's grip on his hand tightens and she gasps, her other hand flying to her stomach.

"Emma," Killian immediately turns back to her, concern crossing his features. "What is it?"

She winces, and Robin runs to her other side. "What do you think, Killian? All this talk about the baby, she's ready to come and visit," she just finishes her sentence before she gasps again, grabbing Robin's arm without thinking.

"Gods," Killian hisses, meeting eyes with Robin. "Okay, Robin, can you take Leo to his parents and tell them to get to the bedroom across the hall from the nursery? And tell them to get the midwife,"

Robin nods, taking Leo from Killian's arms and grabbing Roland's hand, the three of them making their way down the stairs.

"Alright, Emma, I'm going to take you into the guest room, okay?" Killian asked.

"Killian, I'm in labor, not a toddler. I get it." She snapped. "Don't talk to me like I'm stupid."

Killian nodded. "Okay, so we're gonna yell at each other already."

Emma scowled at him as he helped her onto the bed, brushing some hair out of her face. Face softening, he smiled and asked, "Are you ready to meet our daughter, Love?"

Through her pain, Emma managed a smile. "Never been more ready."

* * *

Eliza Eva Jones is born eight hours later, with ten fingers and ten toes, with dark hair on her head and blue eyes. She's got her mother's nose and chin, though, and she's absolutely perfect.

She's in her father's arms and he's looking down at her with so much love in his eyes. Killian's got Eliza's snowman in his other hand, and she's grabbing at it with her small hands. Emma's determined to make the snowman her favorite toy, since it's already Emma's. Emma's lying on the bed resting, and her family is sitting around the bed talking quietly. Liam's there too, his now-wife by his side. He'd cried when Killian had told him the baby's name, thanking Emma profusely.

Emma's close to drifting off when the door opens, and Granny walks in. She's got a blanket in her arm and Emma smiles, because she must've made a blanket for the baby.

"Hey, Granny." Emma greets. Killian sits down on the bed next to her, Eliza fussing slightly but not crying.

Granny smiles. "Hello, girly. I've got a present for you and that lovely daughter of yours."

She sits down in the chair next to the bed and hands her the blanket. Much to Emma's surprise, it's similar to hers. The same white material is used, but the color on the border is teal rather than purple, and the name Eliza is engraved in the side.

The sight makes her eyes water, and she's not even surprised, because she's cried nearly five times since her daughter was born. "Thank you, Granny. But how did you know her name?"

Granny shrugged. "Your mother may have ran to me the second she heard you murmuring to the baby a few months ago."

"But how did you know she was going to be a girl?" Emma questioned, looking to her mother.

Snow shrugged, glancing at the floor. "I may or may not have asked Regina for confirmation."

"You knew and you didn't tell me?" Emma's not angry, she's just surprised that her mother was able to keep a secret for so long.

"Would you rather I'd told you?" Snow retorted, and Emma shook her head. She was honestly happy at the surprise, even though she knew most of the time she'd have a daughter.

"Here, why don't you give her to me? I'll change her blanket," Emma says to Killian, who nods before smiling down at his daughter one last time and handing her to her mother, who wrapped Eliza into her new blanket. The baby opened her eyes again, but didn't cry, thankfully. She cooed happily at the new blanket. Emma looks up and smiles at Granny. "Thank you, Granny. She loves it."

Granny smiles, standing up to look down at the baby. She smiles at her, saying, "Oh, Emma, Killian, she's absolutely gorgeous. You're going to have your hands full with her one day."

Emma laughs and Killian's jaw clenches, clearly not ready to deal with the reality that she's going to grow up one day just hours after his daughter is born.

Liam chuckles at the expression on his brother's face, teasing, "You know Killian, your precious baby is going to grow up one day. Just imagine how David feels right now."

Killian looks over at David, who smirks. "Yep, get ready for it, son."

Emma laughs at the terrified look on his face.

Then she yawns, and her mother notices, so she suggests that everyone give the two of them some time to be with their daughter. Snow kisses her forehead quickly and runs a hand over Eliza's foot before leaving. David bids his daughter a goodnight and then jokes about being too young to be a grandfather, just like her mother had. Her siblings follow their parents with quick goodbyes to Emma, Killian and their new niece. Liam claps his brother on the shoulder and congratulates Emma before kissing his niece on the forehead.

Then they're alone.

Emma's exhausted and so is Killian, and since Eliza's finally asleep, it makes sense for the two of them to sleep. But they don't. Eliza lies on the bed between them as they lie on their sides, watching her breath.

"She's perfect." Killian states, playing with her toes. She's already a heavy sleeper, but there's no way she'll sleep through the night.

Emma nods, agreeing with Killian's words. "She's finally here."

"Thank you," Killian says, confusing Emma.

"What did I do?" She asks.

Killian smirks. "You gave me her. That's more than I could've ever asked for."

"You know…" Emma teases. "If I remember correctly, you _did_ have a part in it."

He blushes. After seven months, they'd finally been able to figure out the night (or the one they thought was the night) they'd conceived. And well….it was a memorable one.

"Maybe I did." He relents. "But you're the one who carried her around for nine months. Dealt with the nausea and the sleepless nights and my constant hovering."

She smiled, reaching across the baby to brush his hair out of his eyes. "It was worth it. I already love her more than anything. Besides, now, you get to deal with the diapers and the sleepless nights and the crying and screaming."

"I'm happy to, Love." Killian kisses her hand. "Now, get some sleep. You've earned it."

Emma smiles gratefully. With her eyes closed, she muttered, "I love you. Both of you."

She feels Killian brush some hair out of her eyes. "I love you too, Darling. Forever."

* * *

Forever turns out to be pretty good.

Charles, or Charlie as they take to calling him, arrives six years after Eliza, and then comes Liam, and then Hope. Her and Killian rule for twenty two years, when Eliza marries Rowan (a blacksmith, not an arranged marriage) and takes over as queen. And after that, it's them and their family, and they don't have to worry about ruling a country anymore. They love each other and their kids and eventually, their grandchildren.

Forever turns out to be their happily ever after.

 **It's really sappy, I know. But I fell in love with all of these characters while I was writing this and I might go back to it just because I love Daddy Killian and I can already tell I'm going to love little Eliza (please don't hate me for the name, I couldn't just leave her nameless). I hope you all enjoyed, and maybe I'll finish something again sometime soon! Again, thank you all!**


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